Paul Gray, bassist with metal band Slipknot has been found dead in a hotel room in Urbandale, Iowa. At the time of writing details are hard to come by but police have said there are no signs of trauma or foul play, leaving us to reach our own conclusions. The toxicology reports are not expected to give any answers for six weeks. Very sad news – love them or loathe them, the musicianship of the members of slipknot is beyond question. Another loss to the musical world, and the band lose a founding member. R.I.P.
Ex-Guns 'N Roses guitarist Slash has been talking about his new album, and revealing his selection process for vocalists. There are many big names on the new record including Dave Grohl, Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop, as well as former band mates Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin. Slash insists that he wasn't trying to be cool or cross any generation gaps, but rather he wrote all the music and then approached singers who he thought would appreciate the tracks. When it came to his selection of Fergie of the Black-Eyed Peas for "Beautiful dangerous", Slash admitted "She's got an amazing voice - and she's hot. Who wouldn't want to work with someone as hot as she is?"... fair enough.
Activision have confirmed that Guitar Hero 6 will be released worldwide in Autumn 2010. In a move to temper the cynicism around music based video gaming flooding the market in recent times, the announcement came in tandem with a commitment from Activision to decrease numbers of releases and improve quality. Time will tell on that one, but don't expect much innovation in GH6 – the format is now established and the trend for downloadable content at additional cost seems likely to continue. With GH7 already in development, there may also be some doubt that release numbers are dropping, so only the quality question remains... and time will tell.
Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor has been sharpening up his guitar chops for Imtiaz Ali's upcoming film Rock Star. He was reportedly approached originally to sing in the film, but admitted that his vocal skills were not up to such a task. He offered to play guitar instead, following in the footsteps of his father Rishi, who appeared on stage many times... mostly playing guitar. Fans of the genre should be able to see the results of Ranbir Kapoor's intensive practice regime in the summer.
Jeff Beck has announced two nights at New York's Iridium entitled 'A celebration of Les Paul'. He will be on stage on the 8th & 9th June, supported by the Imelda May Band. Beck cites Les Paul as a huge influence, saying that his quest for perfect tone started in his attempts to emulate Les. Assuming you can get tickets, it looks like it would be quite a show.
Interested in buying vintage guitars and getting money to a worthy cause all in one go? Then check out www.rootsofrock.com. The site lists the vintage guitar collection of Tony Melman of Toronto, which was valued at $4.5 million. Tony's daughter had Hodgkin's disease as a child and was treated successfully by the Oncology unit of Ontario's hospital for sick children. Their incredible work led Tony to the decision to donate his collection to them in trust. All proceeds of the sale will go to the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO). Pretty cool, and there are some amazing instruments there, with price tags to match.
In response to the flooding that has hit Nashville, Guitar Center have launched 'Operation High Ground' – the latest charitable initiative from the retailer set up to help get the music going again in the city. Partnering with several organisations, the aim is to help individuals as well as recording facilities to repair or replace instruments and equipment as quickly as possible. Donations can be made in store or via the company's website.
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